Lily Allen is the 21-year-old singer/songwriter who has been tearing up the web lately. As a young girl, she went to 13 different schools and never had time to make enduring friendships, so music became her lifeline.

Lily was born in Hammersmith and grew up quickly, listening to punk, ska and reggae, courtesy of her parents' record collections. They moved frequently around London - Shepherds Bush, Bloomsbury, Islington, where she continue to absorb music. At 14 she was into jungle and drum and bass. After getting expelled from more than one school, she was was sent off to boarding school, while finally dropping out at age 15. Books and music held her interest, and helped her express herself.

Lily does not play an instrument, which she feels helps her focus on the vocal melody and her lyrics. Here's a sample of her lyrics from everyday life in London:

There was a little old lady who was walking down the road.
She was struggling with bags from Tesco.
There were people in the city having lunch in the park. I believe that is called alfresco.
Then a kid came along to offer a hand.
But before she had time to accept it, hits her over the head.
Doesn't care if she's dead
'Cause he's got all her jewelry and wallet.

Lily's current listening is not that of an average 20-year-old. Even a cursory glimpse at her site shows a breathtaking appreciation of diverse music. Listed amongst a host of current and unsigned dance artists are names like The Specials, Rip Rig and Panic, T.Rex ("possibly the best band ever, ever!") The Slits, Blondie, Wreckless Eric, Kate Bush, Prince, and Eminem.

Lily Allen built a solid fan base on the Internet, topping the UK singles chart in July 2006 with her song "Smile." In October she was awarded the Best Pop Artist in the Fifth Annual Digital Music Awards, London, and her debut album is being released this month in the states. The reaction to all of this has left her reeling.

The Bird & The Bee is an adult-pop duo from Los Angeles who have been living and loving music almost from birth. Their passion is beginning to pay off in a big way.

Lead vocalist Inara George is the daughter of Lowell George, leader of classic rock band Little Feat. The slender, breathy singer has lent her voice to a number of studio recordings in the past, both guest appearing with other bands and as a solo artist. Her album, _All Rise_, was released in 2005, earning her critical acclaim for her lush, shimmering pop melodies and elegant vocals.

Offering multi-instrumental backup on that album was Greg Kurstin, and the two hit it off immediately with a shared love of jazz, electronica, and timeless pop. Kurstin provides almost all the instrumentals on the group's recordings, excelling as a guitarist and most pronouncedly on the keys. As a teen, he moved to New York to study piano as an emerging prodigy, but his loves drew him back to popular music, headlining the band Action Figure Party and working as a producer for Beck and the Flaming Lips.

The duo's debut EP, Again and Again and Again and Again, was released on Blue Note Records in October 2006, as a preview to their first full-length. Their self-titled debut LP, released by Blue Note, is a collection of electronica-scored and jazz-tinted pop gems, stepping up and downtempo efficiently and effectively to create a beautiful and unified sound.

Filtering classic rock and pop hooks through a willfully lo-fi slacker aesthetic a la Pavement or Guided by Voices, Philadelphia's Dr. Dog are able to sound both timeless and immediate as only the best music can. {readmorelink}Read More...{/readmorelink}

Formed in 1999 as a recording project between two members of the more traditional indie-rock band Raccoon, Dr. Dog cemented itself into a real band when Raccoon ended in the early 2000's. Their first two records, 2001's Psychedelic Swamp and 2002's Toothbrush, were both self-released but failed to make an impact outside of the Philadelphia area. However, the band's fortunes changed when My Morning Jacket's Jim James handpicked Dr. Dog to open for My Morning Jacket for their 2004 tour. They were subsequently picked up by indie label Park the Van for their 2005's Easy Beat, which was met with wide critical praise for it's fascinating combination of psychedelic pop hooks and Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies.

We All Belong, Dr. Dog's forthcoming new record, is shaping up to be their most powerful and cohesive artistic statement yet. With a bigger following than they have ever had before, the record is their chance to break through to the mainstream in a big way by exploring their love of "three-part harmonies, the out-of-doors, soya roti's, baking bread and diminished chords."

Amy Winehouse has exploded onto the UK pop scene as a retro-inspired, yet fiercely liberated, very modern soul singer. Her joyful clash of pop jazz stylings with brash hip-hop attitude and powerful vocals has turned more than just heads.

She's quickly establishing herself as a bona fide star overseas, even though she's barely out of her teens. Her rugged image, at times a rowdy homage in fashion as well as demeanor to vintage bad girl icons such as Ronnie Spector, separates her from the ho-hum homogenous pack of 00s divas in training.

Amy was born in North London and grew up on an eclectic diet of popular music, from hip-hop to pop to adult R&B, and was singing about as soon as she could talk. She began playing the guitar at age 13, growing into her talent for creating her own material. Her rebellious spirit also kept her from being strictly attuned to the standards. Her infectious sound derives equally from incorporating the flavor of childhood hip-hop favorites Salt 'n' Pepa and TLC. After a few years of singing professionally, she recorded 2003's Frank, an impressive debut, having peaked at #13 on the Billboard UK Charts.

Critics and fans alike rave about her voice, drawing comparisons to Sarah Vaughan, one of her biggest lifelong influences, as well as Macy Gray and Lauryn Hill. But the attention hasn't stopped there. Amy is hailed as vibrant and lively, bringing a real voice of human emotion to her lyrics in a genre that has long been focused on the singing alone. Amy co-wrote all of the original songs on her debut, and continued to hone her writing gifts in the process of crafting her second album, determined to not just be the face, but also the mind behind the music. Her media persona too demonstrates she's no pop tart eager to please her handlers. In 2006, her management company suggested she rein in her party girl exploits. Instead, she arrogantly split from her management and got the last laugh as she channeled the fallout into catchy hit "Rehab."

In October 2006 she released her follow up album, Back to Black, and any doubts about her longevity were dispelled. The album went hit #1 on the UK charts and crossed over internationally, reaching #7 on the US charts. The momentum is still building, and Amy is poised to make a big splash in the states - all before her 24th birthday.

Ryan Shaw is a native of Decatur, Georgia and has been singing and performing since he was three. He honed his musical talents in church and local choirs. When he felt the need for more, he made the move of a lifetime, following his dream to New York City in 1998.

In New York, Ryan picked up his first singing gig as a Motown Cafe Moment, and the journey has been uphill ever since. Shaw's distinctive approach to singing and songwriting caught the attention of top talent manager David Sonenberg, and in November of 2006 he signed with DAS Communications. Just as the ink was drying on his management agreement he sat down once more, this time signing a record deal with Sony Red.
Drawing inspiration from great talents such as Sam Cooke, the Pace Sisters and Aretha Franklin among others, Shaw sidesteps the transient quality that so many of today's artists cling to and opts for a more enduring sound that finds fans in both the young and old. When asked to describe what drives him, Ryan states "I am a man with a heart for the arts and how it affects the human spirit, and that is what I share."

The National is a band of New Yorkers transplanted from Cincinnati, Ohio: Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, and Scott Devendorf. What each member of the band does is not that important, but what they do together seems increasingly more so.

When last we heard from The National, they'd released and toured behind their Beggars Banquet debut, Alligator, an album whose reception closely mirrored the kind of sounds they made on record - it started out quiet, and ended up very, very loud. Alligator became one of the most widely discussed and critically acclaimed independent albums of 2005 - "album of the year" to one Los Angeles Times critic. It also earned top marks in a poll of America's bloggeratti and rapturous reviews throughout the U.S. and Europe. (Uncut, selecting it as an album of the month, called the record "their first masterpiece.") More importantly, The National became an object of growing obsession among a thriving community of fans - strands of their lyrics decorated MySpaces; during shows, audience members sang along in unison, echoing through concert halls; news of celebrity admirers like Bruce Springsteen shot across the interwebs. The National became famous in an alternate universe - one where the gossip rags talk about the people you actually care about.

Boxer is better.

Gothic in its detailing but jaunty in its execution, Boxer is something far richer than orch-pop (translation: rock 'n' roll topped with violins). Rather, the band find ways to combine the expressive depth of composed music with the urgency of pop. It's a sound built with guitar, bass, piano and drums and festooned with brass, woodwinds, backing vocals, strings, and organs. A product of dedicated labor, happenstance, and alchemical reactions, the music reveals new layers with each successive listen.

There are nods toward a host of iconic Americans - F. Scott Fitzgerald, Raymond Carver, composer Steve Reich, Bob Dylan and the Band, Jonathan Ames (especially "Wake Up, Sir!"), even a bit of Grateful Dead. There are sketchy suggestions of Leonard Cohen, Grace Paley, Nick Cave, John Ashbery, The Smiths and Tom Waits. But The National's pedigree is becoming harder and harder to trace. They may remind you of distinguished ancestors but, now, The National sound like no one so much as themselves: a meditative rumble that starts in the heart, gets caught in the brain, and resonates outward.

Not quite folk or alt-country, but more than just a rock group, Philadelphia's Hoots & Hellmouth crafts fiery, cathartic roots-rock that the band describes as "new music for old souls." Hear Hoots & Hellmouth perform a concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. {readmorelink}Read More...{/readmorelink}

Formed in 2005 around the acoustic guitars of Sean Hoots and Andrew "Hellmouth" Gray, the two began creating a body of work that was vastly different from what either had created in the past. Often fleshing out their arrangements with organ, upright bass, drums and mandolin, Hoots and Gray saw their star begin to rise after appearances at the 2006 Philadelphia Folk Festival and last year's WXPN All About the Music festival. Blending soul, folk, country, gospel and rock with the sounds of classic Americana, Hoots & Hellmouth has, on record, lived up to the promise of its revival-like live shows - which is saying a lot.

Influenced by the likes of Drake, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Bob Dylan, Matthews began writing music with his older brother Darren and playing in bands around his native Wolverhampton. In 2002, Matthews began writing the songs that would eventually comprise his debut album, and played his first solo gig a year later. A copy of his demo eventually landed him a label deal, and he entered the studio in the summer of 2005.

By March, Matthews was all over the radio in Britain, with singles such as "Elusive" and "Passing Stranger" earning him widespread popularity. Passing Stranger has received several U.K. reissues - the latest is a double-disc set - but is still available in the U.S. only as an import.

Church, who cut his teeth crafting Irving's neo-psychedelic alt-pop
sound, got a big break when his home recordings found their way into the hands of Seattle producer Phil Ek, who's worked on records by The Shins, Band of Horses and Built to Spill.

On his debut EP, Get to the River Before It
Runs Too Low, Church puts his skills to good
use on a collection of delicate, timeless pop songs.
At times, the disc recalls classic '70s and '80s
songwriters like Mark Knopfler and Tom Petty, but
the arrangements also hint at a more experimental
side, complete with cello and keyboards. Pairing
warm acoustic songwriting with plaintive, intimate
vocal work, Sea Wolf releases a full-length follow-up
later this year.

Related Links

Sea Wolf was featured by David Dye as a World
Cafe Next artist segment in June.

Devendra Banhart was named by guru Maharaji Prem Rawat. In an Indian myth, Devendra is identified as "king of gods." cripplecrow.com

Devendra Banhart's been pegged as the leader of the indie-folk or "freak-folk" movement since his debut back in the early 2000s. While Houston native Banhart has been heavily influenced by 60s folk and psychedelia - Bert Jansch, Donovan, Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, and Dylan - his new album Smokey Rolls Down Canyon Mountain defies the oft-repeated "freak folk" pigeon-holing. For its recording sessions, Banhart nested in Topanga Canyon, an area rich in classic rock history. Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, and members of The Doors all resided there in the California hippie heyday, and Neil Young laid down the tracks for After the Gold Rush in this idyllic landscape. The past has indeed rubbed off on Banhart's latest effort. The ghosts of folk rock's past urge on a move from the inscrutable and precious towards eclectic transcendence. His distinctive voice still retains echoes of voices as disparate but equally fragile as Billie Holiday and Tiny Tim, but his new music lends a laidback groove that will inevitably draw comparisons to another landmark indie folkie gone (well, occasionally) mainstream rock - Beck. Some songs dabble in tropicalia, some the gentlest of ballads, others veer towards electric bombast. But throughout Smokey Rolls Down Canyon Mountain Banhart seems poised to attract countless new fans beyond the boundaries of the "freak-folk" genre.